A Short Stop in the Woods
by jo tolkin
Summary: Another imagined scene from 5x3...it was a long car ride back to Boston!


A drabble, I think it's called. Another imagined scene from 5x3, it was a long ride back to Boston….

A Short Stop in the Woods

Etta was worried. They would never get back to Harvard at this rate. Between Walter's small bladder and his insistence at "stretching his legs" to avoid deadly blood clots, it would be very late hour before they'd be able to sneak back into the lab and grab a few hours of sleep.

"No, Peter, I can't just "hold it!" Walter snapped. "I suppose you'd prefer I pee into a bottle but as I don't have a bottle, the side of the road will have to do! Now pull over!" He protested loudly.

"Uh, if we're taking a family vote, I vote 'no' on Walter peeing into a bottle, especially since I'm in the back seat with him." Etta said.

Olivia smiled and Peter rolled his eyes and said, "Fine, Walter, you win."

Peter pulled the car over to the side of the road and Walter hurriedly opened the door and got out. Peter leaned out the window and shouted, "And, hurry up, will you? The Observers aren't gonna stop hunting us so you can pee!"

"Don't rush me. Pressure always makes my urethra shut up tight as a clam." Walter shouted back as he ran quickly, looking for the nearest tree.

Peter let out a frustrated sigh, "Great. Now I gotta pee."

Peter smiled sheepishly and got out of the car. An uncomfortable silence filled the air. Etta and Olivia self-consciously fidgeted in their seats and looked out the window, careful to avoid the spot where Walter and Peter stood. After a few seconds, Etta broke the silence

"You didn't really forget the name of that diner, did you? The one with the great apple pie?" Olivia slowly turned around in her seat and faced Etta.

Etta shrugged, "It was pretty obvious you didn't want to talk about it."

Olivia nodded her head slightly; a small smile on her lips and said, "You're a good agent."

Etta smiled. "It's in the genes." Etta stared into her mother's green eyes but Olivia turned away, distracted by the sight of Peter trying to get Walter back to the car.

"Your father doesn't seem to be having much luck." Olivia said.

Etta had no intention of letting the subject go. "It was because of me, wasn't it?" she said, "The reason you didn't want to talk about it?"

Olivia let out a small sigh and paused. When she finally answered, she spoke slowly, carefully.

"Yes and no. It was about three year old Etta, not you now. And it was about who your father and I were then, not now." Olivia smiled sadly at Etta.

It was Etta's turn to sigh, "Mom…" she said shyly, still getting used to the word, "That's in the past. Nothing we can do about it."

Olivia let out a quiet laugh. "You're definitely your father's daughter."

Etta smiled, "He told you that too?" Olivia nodded.

Etta moved closer to Olivia. "And are you guys okay?"

Olivia smiled and paused again before she spoke.

"We're okay, don't worry." Olivia reached out and touched Etta's cheek gently. "We're going to be okay." Etta smiled.

The back door suddenly opened, surprising them both. Walter jumped in, holding what looked like a dead bug.

"Well, I expect a full explanation to Aspro as to why the gift I'd intended for her is now dead." Walter fumed.

Peter settled into the drivers seat and slammed his door shut. "How was I supposed to know you had a butterfly in your pocket?" Peter shouted, as he started the car and put it into gear.

"Where else was I supposed to put it?" Walter roared back.

Peter opened his mouth to tell Walter exactly where he could put it when Olivia reached across and put her hand on Peter's shoulder.

"Don't answer that." she said.

Peter turned towards Olivia and noticed she was smiling at him; she'd made a joke. He chuckled.

"I fail to see what is so humorous about a dead butterfly." Walter said irritably.

As Peter pulled the old station wagon off the shoulder and started down the road, Etta saw him reach out and softly cup her mother's face in his hand. She, in turn, relaxed into his touch and squeezed his hand with her own. It only lasted a few seconds but it was long enough. Long enough for Etta to dare to believe in the possibility that they were going to be okay like her mother said; they were all going to be okay.


End file.
